I just caught a tiny baby lizard, measuring perhaps 1 1/2 inches! I want to keep it so badly...And I have a ton of questions! I have no idea what to feed it. It's a very common type of lizard here-brown patterned on the top and sort of gold tinged on the bottom. Could you please help with the following questions? Since it's used to living in my climate I doubt I'd need a heat lamp, right? How often should I feed it, and what should I feed it? What should I use for substrate? Will newspaper/paper towels do till I can get something better? How big a terrarium/old fish tank will I need? Anything I shouldn't feed it? Can I feed it fruit? If so, what fruit? How often should I handle it to get it used to my touch? Thanks a bunch, and sorry for my slew of questions! By the way, I live in Mexico. Here are some pics of the baby:
I would start by searching the internet for what lizards are native to your area, to find out what kind it is. Once you know exactly what kind of lizard it is, you can search for what they need for food, lighting, and caging. As far as having a heat lamp, if you keep it in similar temp/humidity levels as it is used to (outside), I wouldn't be too worried about a "heat lamp" but it may need UV light that it may not get under a roof/inside **I don't know a lot about lizards, but I do have a general idea of things reptile related**
First ya gotta know what breed he/she is then get a big habbitat for it then ya gotta make it like a mini rainforest but so you can still see it. get crickets make sure they don't get out of the thing that the crickets are in get a water dish. they need something under them so mabe get a reptile carpet anyway thats pretty much all i k now cause i have 2 anoles
I would take a guess and maybe say a fence lizard they're everywhere more common than side blotched lizards here in socal. As juviniles they usually lack or just have a faded blue belly. As for enclosure it would be as close and the nature outside? Depending if you're going to keep him inside or out and temps associated should be a basking spot on one end and a cooler side he can retreat to. Many hides for security. Fresh water at all times and can try feeding small crickets or wild caught bugs. I've kept many wildcaught baby lizards when I was younger they usually ate for me within a week and if they didn't I'd release them
As the others said, you really need to find out the species. I'm not sure what it is and admit that my knowledge of Mexican lizard fauna is limited... If it is a diurnal species, you will need a UVB producing bulb, and probably a heat source. The temperature in your home will not be the same as outside, and temperature demands of reptiles can be deceiving. In a single habitat, you may find one species that basks heavily in the heat of the day seeking temperatures in excess of 100 degrees F, and others that remain hidden until nightfall and try to keep basal temperature below 80 degrees. There is a lot of variability, and unfortunately you won't know your lizard's needs by guessing... you need to find out what it is and go from there. It looks like an insectivore, so you can try feeding it small insects that you know are safe. Honestly - I would release it where you found it. Wild caught reptiles can have difficulty acclimating to captivity, and without knowledge of the species it is impossible to provide proper care. I'm sorry to say but the longer this proceeds the higher the chance the lizard will die in a short period of time. If you being to notice obvious signs of stress or decay, it should be released before it becomes irreversible.
